Epigenetic clues to rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract The innate immune response needs to be tightly regulated to balance elimination of microorganisms with the magnitude of inflammation. The rupture of this balance is crucial for the outcome of diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in which an overflowed proinflammatory response is assoc...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of autoimmunity 2008-02, Vol.30 (1), p.12-20
Main Authors: Sánchez-Pernaute, Olga, Ospelt, Caroline, Neidhart, Michel, Gay, Steffen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Allergy and Immunology
Animals
Arthritis, Rheumatoid - genetics
Arthritis, Rheumatoid - immunology
Arthritis, Rheumatoid - physiopathology
Arthritis, Rheumatoid - therapy
Autoimmunity
Biological and medical sciences
Cytokines - immunology
Cytokines - metabolism
Diseases of the osteoarticular system
DNA Methylation
Epigenesis, Genetic
Epigenetics
Fibroblasts - pathology
Fibroblasts - physiology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Fundamental immunology
Gene regulation
Gene Silencing
Histones - genetics
Histones - metabolism
Humans
Immune Tolerance
Inflammation - immunology
Inflammatory joint diseases
Innate immune response
Medical sciences
Rheumatoid arthritis
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Abstract The innate immune response needs to be tightly regulated to balance elimination of microorganisms with the magnitude of inflammation. The rupture of this balance is crucial for the outcome of diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in which an overflowed proinflammatory response is associated with self-damage. Epigenetics alludes to systems controlling gene expression and silencing independent of the germline, but stable enough to be inherited by daughter cells upon mitosis. We will show in this review how pathological processes in RA can be shaped by epigenetics, which may in turn explain differences in phenotypes between subgroups of patients and also between subsets of fibroblasts within the joint. On the whole, the concourse of epigenetic mechanisms can precipitate the aggressive behaviour of cells and the rupture of peripheral tolerance. Targeting these emerging regulatory pathways is a promising approach for RA therapeutics.
ISSN:0896-8411
1095-9157
DOI:10.1016/j.jaut.2007.11.006